


Stringing Words Together

by Ursa_Tattoo



Series: Cosmo Armstrong AU [6]
Category: The LEGO Movie (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Embarrassment, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Time Travel, Undar!Benny, these two are fools and it's just cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 10:43:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19990831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursa_Tattoo/pseuds/Ursa_Tattoo
Summary: For rnainframe's Cosmo Armstrong AU.Rex Dangervest likes to think he's above softness and warm feelings. He's not. Time for him to admit it, or at least try to.





	Stringing Words Together

**Author's Note:**

> As always, go check out rnainframe's Cosmo Armstrong tag on tumblr if you like this content!

Okay. Rex has got this. He's been hyping himself up for hours now, he's paced so much he thinks the floor might have a groove in it, and he's ready.

Because, see, it's not the words themselves that are hard to say. His vocabulary may be limited, but he knows how to string things together to get his point across. He knows that.

It's the feelings behind them that are hard to deal with.

See, Rex has found himself in a bit of a conundrum. It's a conundrum that's been building up for a long, long time.

Notably, he thinks he might be in love with his partner in crime.

He's hesitant to so much as call Cosmo a friend, really. They've both had issues with friends in the past. They've both been abandoned, left for dead, set adrift for years on end. They both spent five separate years alone with their thoughts, and so when they began this partnership, they agreed to keep it strictly professional.

Which would've been fine, really. Rex can handle professional. He can! He's done professional before. Teamwork is a necessary skill, even if he works best alone.

But Cosmo's... different.

Rex and Cosmo took to each other lightning fast. Both kindred spirits, both cut from the same cloth, but Cosmo is...

Rex can't even think of how to describe what Cosmo means to him without coming across as weak. Cosmo's absolutely _brilliant_ , sharp as a tack in ways that Rex simply isn't, full of energy that he keeps pent up even with the new tiredness that comes from Undar. He's a wild card, always doing something that Rex can't expect, even after having known him for so long. When Cosmo's working on something he's good at, Rex just can't stop watching. He's a passionate sort, even if he keeps it bottled.

And Rex is in love with him.

He's not fully sure when he realized it, actually. There just came a day when he looked at Cosmo and realized that the warmth in his chest when looking at him was a little too strong to just be something between bros.

Because that's what they are. They call each other bros as they settle in with each other, hold each other, support each other, as if it's simply a platonic thing. Just professional. It's not date night, it's badassery research. It's not spending quality time together, it's comparing skills.

They're really stupid, aren't they.

Either way, it's gone on long enough, and Rex is starting to lose his mind. He can hold in feelings, he does it all the time, but the more time he spends with Cosmo, the more he wants to do... sappy things. Things he associates with weakness, but they're desires that he can't seem to shake.

Desires he doesn't really _want_ to shake.

So his only real option is to put his cards on the table. He needs to confess. Either Cosmo will leave and hate him, or Cosmo will stay. He's not sure which option is more daunting, but he needs to do this.

Rex leaves the rut he's carved himself into, going to find Cosmo. His fears of rejection make him want to halt, but he's stalled long enough. He's Rex fucking Dangervest, he can do this. He's the toughest around, he can't just let some feelings make him into a coward.

He finds Cosmo on the Cosmonaut, tinkering away in one of his labs. The new robot he's making has a simple enough design, as most of his robots do, but it's pleasant to look at. Cosmo's got a look of intense focus to him, absorbed into his work to the exclusion of all else.

Rex feels his heart fluttering, and he stamps it down. _Come on, come on, don't get distracted, Dangervest, you're ready for this._

The new little robot zips around the lab with an almost dizzying pace, looking around and beeping softly, and Cosmo's delighted smile absolutely takes Rex's breath away.  
Cosmo looks up, noticing Rex, and blinks. "Oh-- Hey bro! How long have you been standing there?" He looks kind of embarrassed at having been caught hyperfocusing, but Rex continues without teasing.

"Not long. We need to talk." His voice is being kept neutral on purpose, and Cosmo frowns.

"Is something wrong?" Veiled worry. Rex doesn't know what to think of that.

"No, no, nothing like that. I just need to tell you something." He settles down on a table next to Cosmo, and Cosmo peers at him curiously.

"What is it, dude?"

Rex takes a deep breath. "You know how we're bros? Perfectly manly and professional, no feelings involved?"

Cosmo nods, but there's something odd in his eyes that Rex can't identify. "Yeah. Just partners in crime, guys being dudes."

"Well _I--_ " Rex stiffens. Shit, he cracked into his old voice, his younger one. Cosmo bites back a smile, but he's not doing it very well.

"Yeah, bro?" Cosmo looks kind of amused. Rex tries to swallow his shame, but his face is reddening against his will.

His hands grip onto the table, digging into it with nervous energy. "...I think I-"

Danger Sense. He's got barely a second of warning before his Breaker skills activate due to stress, causing the table to collapse under him. He lands flat on his back and Cosmo looks concerned, offering his hand to help him up.

"You okay, b- bro?" Is that a stutter? He didn't think Cosmo was the type. Rex takes Cosmo's hand, face hot from shame.

"I'm fine. Look, I just need to tell you that I-" The words catch in his throat.

"That you what?"

Rex swallows. "That I love you."

Cosmo's face goes red, and Rex takes that as a cue to escape, not giving him time to respond. He's made a fool of himself, he can't let things happen like this, he needs a do-over.

"Rex--" That's Cosmo's voice calling after him, but Rex ignores it as he returns to his own vessel, tinkering with the time travel settings.

"Come on, I'll get it right next time," Rex mutters, resetting the time loop. Time rewinding is a familiar feeling, but rarely is his face ever so red during it.

He's back where he was prior to all of the pacing, and he takes several moments to breathe. Cosmo doesn't remember the consequences of time loops the way that Rex does. He's got another shot.

...But he _does_ get echoes. So if he remembers enough...

The anxious thought doesn't have time to complete itself before Cosmo's knocking on the doorframe, peering his head in. Rex blinks. Cosmo hadn't been there last time, Rex knows that for sure, so why...

"Hey, ba- bro." Okay, that's a definite slip from Cosmo. "You doing okay?"

Rex nods. "Yeah, I'm good. Weren't you gonna be making new robots today or something?"

Cosmo shrugs. "Yeah, I was planning on it, but something gave me the feeling like I should be here instead. Figured I'd follow my gut."

...echoes, just like Rex thought. He puts on a casual smile, masking his thoughts and fears. "Cool. Feel free to stick around, then." Rex settles down on the couch, and Cosmo settles with him, nestling into Rex a lot... faster than normal.

Rex looks hesitant for a second. "Whatcha up to there, Cos?"

Cosmo takes a moment to respond. "Just figured I'd... save space on the couch. For the raptors." The raptors aren't allowed on the couch, but Cosmo's always been a terrible liar.

"...yeah, alright. Fair enough. Want to watch Terminator or something?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Cosmo nestles happily into Rex's side, practically clinging to him, and Rex can barely keep himself from going flushed as he turns on the movie.

Cosmo's gentle warmth attached to his side is a comfort, really. He doesn't have the nerve to confess again, not yet. Not while the humiliation from the last attempt is still so fresh, but given this reaction? He's starting to think that it might go well after all.

Rex lays his head on Cosmo's without a word as the movie starts, content with his partner in crime. One day, they might openly be more, but for now? It's enough to just have Cosmo in his arms.


End file.
